‘There is much to be learnt from this prodigious record of human achievement in the cradle of civilisation.’
It is rare to find a genuinely knowledgeable and expert scholar who can produce a work as accessible and balanced as this volume. Always informative and never overwhelming, this is a volume that truly must be read by anyone interested in the world we find ourselves occupying today.
Dr. Martha T. Roth – Dean
'John Robertson has been able to walk us through so much of the history that we tend to forget'.
‘A captivating account... While both engaging and informative, it is not the content alone that is most impressive, but the author’s technique. Unlike most books on Iraq, this one takes its time recounting the region’s history, savouring the richness... Above all else, the book excels in putting events into historical perspective by seeing things not in a Manichean, “the present matters whereas the past is past” perspective.’
‘A fresh and lively discussion of Iraq’s 6,000-year history... Robertson reminds his readers of the intellectual debt the Western world owes to the peoples that populated the area of Iraq throughout history, hoping they will then see past today’s brutal headlines... His conviction is clearly expressed and poignantly supported throughout this book.’
‘John Robertson’s magnificent Iraq: A History takes a truly long perspective. From the first Sumerian cities over 5,000 years ago, via the great empires of Assyria, Babylonia and Abbasid Baghdad, to the modern Iraqi state, he shows how this complex past has always shaped, and been shaped by, contemporary political concerns.’
Best Books of 2015 History Today
'A fresh and lively discussion of Iraq's 6,000-year history'.
Iraq matters. Iraq has always mattered and John Robertson’s compelling account shows exactly why. Deftly steering a path through five millennia and more, he helps us to see how and why the country’s past is always up for grabs, interpreted and reinterpreted in the light of contemporary concerns... An essential read for anyone who wants to understand why Iraq is never far from the headlines.
Eleanor Robson – Professor of Ancient Middle Eastern History
A rare find: an authoritative, highly original history that is simply a delight to read. Anyone who wants to understand the turmoil and potential of modern Iraq should read this book.
'Considering its huge span of 6,000 years, the book is surprisingly unhurried...Robertson is never a prisoner of chronology and always finds time for useful asides'.
"This vivid and fast-paced book is an enjoyable introduction for the general reader, from the beginnings of human civilization to the recent wholesale destruction of Iraq's archaeological heritage... Robertson's focus on pre-modern Iraq effortlessly blends political and military history with the history of ideas, and flows seamlessly into the present era and the terrible predicament in which the cradle of civilization now finds itself." —Publishers Weekly — Eleanor Robson, Professor of Ancient Middle Eastern History, University College London —Kirkus Reviews —The Independent —Library Journal —Dr. Barbara N. Porter, Director, The Casco Bay Assyriological Institute; research associate, The Harvard Semitic Museum; guest researcher, the Leiden Institute for Area Studies (2015-16) —Dr. Martha T. Roth - Dean, Humanities Division, the University of Chicago and the Chauncey S. Boucher Distinguished Service Professor of Assyriology, the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago — Middle East Journal
